The brush edit: which do you need?

Having a large selection of make-up brushes was something usually reserved for pro make-up artists, but now many of us feel the need to have an array to choose from. It's so easy to get caught up in the marketing and think we need to have 24 brushes on the go, but do we really need that many?

Many are multi-use so it's not always necessary to have separate brushes for everything, which also makes life easier when traveling. The most important thing is don't be put off by what a brush says it's to be used for. Often, some of my favourite brushes I use for completely different purposes than they were intended and they work perfectly.

Still unsure? Here's our list of essentials to have on your dressing table;

A fluffy concealer brush

A brush like this is really multi-purpose. Use it to pat and blend concealer over blemishes and to buff concealer under the eye area. I also like to use this around the edges of my eyeshadow, especially after applying a dark or colorful pigment. This, if having previously been used for concealer, will have some product left on it and will help to soften and blend any potential harsh edges.

A flat eyeshadow brush

A flat brush is great for applying your shadow. Often, when people struggle with blending shadows it's because they are applying and blending with the same brush. Pack on your colour of choice with a flat brush like this, you will get great payoff as this brush is so dense, and then you can blend with a clean fluffy brush.

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A fluffy blending brush

For blending out that shadow you've applied you need something light and fluffy. You will be using this in the socket bone as well as under the eyes so don't go for anything too big. There are so many options here and Real Techniques do some of the best.

A duo-fibre brush

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When it comes to cheek products like bronzer and blush, you don't need a myriad of different brushes to apply. One will work for both, so preferably make it a du0-fibre one. These are the products that are easy to go overboard on, but with a duo-fibre it is difficult to apply too much. The way the bristles are arranged makes it hard for the brush to collect too much product, and the duo-fibre bristles apply and blend at the same time.

A powder brush

Lastly, you will need a powder brush to set everything in place. This is the one we are most likely to bring with us everywhere, as we can get shiny throughout the day and need a top up . As it is carted around in a hand bag it is more hygienic if you can get a retractable one.